4.0 HTML

[W L]

FrontPage 2003
Windows XP

Is there any way to prevent FrontPage 2003 from using HTML which is not
cross browser friendly? For example: At one time I was able to paste text
directly from Word Documents into FrontPage and the text was rendered
properly in HTML. Now, if I try to paste text from a Word Document, I notice
all these tags which actually look like garbage in Netscape and are rendered
perfectly in IE. It seems that FrontPage has been "improved" to the point
that it is actually useless to someone who wants a clean, 4.0 HTML, cross
browser-friendly web page.

 

[Steve Easton]

<quote>
Now, if I try to paste text from a Word Document,
</quote>

Is the "Key phrase." Paste from word into notepad and then from notepad into FrontPage and it will
clear the extraneous tags.


--
Steve Easton
Microsoft MVP FrontPage
95isalive
This site is best viewed............
........................with a computer

 

[W L]

I see. I had tried to paste the text into Word Pad which was, until the
latest "upgrade", my workaround for FrontPage's trashy markup language.
Prior to FrontPage 2002, these workarounds weren't even necessary. I do not
understand how Microsoft can keep upgrading FrontPage while making
absolutely no improvements, and in fact, making it less easy to work with.
If I were not forced to use FrontPage for my job, I wouldn't touch it with a
ten foot pole.

 

[Jim Cheshire \(JIMCO\)]

FrontPage 2003
Windows XP

Is there any way to prevent FrontPage 2003 from using HTML which is
not cross browser friendly? For example: At one time I was able to
paste text directly from Word Documents into FrontPage and the text
was rendered properly in HTML. Now, if I try to paste text from a
Word Document, I notice all these tags which actually look like
garbage in Netscape and are rendered perfectly in IE. It seems that
FrontPage has been "improved" to the point that it is actually
useless to someone who wants a clean, 4.0 HTML, cross
browser-friendly web page.

Your problem stems from the fact that Word is not a Web editing tool. When
you paste content from Word, it is pasted with a lot of extra code to
maintain the look of the Word doc.

If you want Word code to come in without all of that, paste that content
into Notepad and then paste it from there into FrontPage.

--
Jim Cheshire
JIMCO
http://www.jimcoaddins.com
Free add-ins for FrontPage

Author of Special Edition
Using Microsoft Office FrontPage 2003

 

[Steve Easton]

Ok I said "Notepad" not WordPad. does *not* strip formatting from text, and never has.
When you copy "formatted" text from another source into an html document, you are also copying the
formatting.
This is true of "any" html editor.
To "strip" the formatting you need to paste into "Notepad" and then copy from notepad to FrontPage.
It has been this way since day 1.


--
Steve Easton
Microsoft MVP FrontPage
95isalive
This site is best viewed............
........................with a computer

 

[W L]

I understand what you said. I don't want to strip the formatting of the
text. Otherwise, I then have to go into FrontPage and edit each section of
text, line by line. I want FrontPage to render formatted text in clean code.
And I really don't think that is too much to ask of a piece of software that
calls itself and HTML editor. The reason I mentioned WordPad is because,
prior to the latest FrontPage upgrade (2003) I was able to paste text into
WordPad, then copy it from there and paste into FrontPage with its
formatting intact and without the extraneous <span> tags and garbage tags
which Word renders that are not considered good code by anyone who has been
coding HTML for any length of time. Now, when you copy and paste from
WordPad, the formatting is removed, just as if you were pasting from NotePad
(check it and see). I don't WANT the formatting removed. I don't have all
day to format into HTML the Word Documents that are sent to me. I also know
I am not the only website manager who spends a large portion of their time
converting Word Documents to HTML. So why is FrontPage making it harder
rather than easier with each upgrade?

 

[Ronx]

Instead of cut and paste, try drag and drop.
Open or create a page in FrontPage. In Windows Explorer browse to the Word
document. Then drag the Word document and drop it onto the Page in
FrontPage.
Not perfect, but there is very little extra code, and most formatting is
retained. This method may breakdown if the document has very complex
formatting or content.

 

[Bob Lehmann]

And what you're looking for is something that knows what YOU want, but
should be flexible enough to know what EVERYONE ELSE wants too - right?

If you are going to being formatting text for one medium by using a tool
intended for another medium and expecting automagical perfection in the
translation, you are doomed to a life unrealized expectations.

Oh, and since you're such a stickler for details - HTML is not code, it's
markup.

Bob Lehmann

 

[Wes]

Then maybe you should consider converting the doc to .pdf

 

[W L]

This solution worked perfectly, Ron. Thank you so much.

 

[W L]

I didn't intend to start a slam fest...lol. I was simply looking for a
workaround to my problem. Since converting word docs to html is just a tiny
portion of my job, I have very little time to spend on them. Imagine my
frustration when my "upgrade" seemingly made my job harder. I think
Microsoft makes some great products. I just don't count FrontPage among
them. No offense intended. Just an opinion. Ron Symonds provided an
excellent workaround to my problem, and I appreciate all the input from
Microsoft MVP's in these forums.

 

[Jeff Chapman]

I tried Ron's idea too - it's really fascinating how you can
drag and drop the file from Windows Explorer into FP
and get totally different (and much more simplifed) markup than
what you would normally get from cutting and pasting from one
app to the other. Thanks Ron, for the interesting tip!

- Jeff